Sigmund Freud, the "father of psychoanalysis", was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. He made incredible progress to the understanding of the human mind through two research projects he did involving psychosexual development and his three elements of personality (the ID, the ego, and the superego.) His work on these two projects, which are subtopics of his general school of thinking called psychoanalysis, have become the foundation of psychology in modern day.
Sigmund Freud Quotes
"Anatomy is destiny."
"Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock."
"Just as no one can be forced into belief, so no one can be forced into unbelief."
"Men are more moral than they think and far more immoral than they can imagine." "The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water."
Psychosexual Development
Freud believed that all children had a libido, or a sexual drive, from when they were born. This libido is expressed through certain stages of childhood that people go through. (See figure to the left.) When children are raised in such a way that over-gratifies or under-gratifies one of the stages, that child is fixated on the stage, which means he is stuck in it. Although development will continue, the child will grow up with a continuation of the stage it is fixated on. For example, a child fixated in the oral stage may develop a smoking or drinking addiction.
Another thing Freud focused on under the concept of this development was the idea of repression, or forcing thoughts back into the subconscious. Sexual repression of children was most prominent during the latency stage.
Three Elements of Personality
Freud also concluded from his studies that the mind was broken into three different parts. These three parts act against each other and create internal conflict, and the strength of each part and its ability to control the others, or ego strength, determines the personality of each person.
The three elements of personality are: ID- the unconscious part of the mind. The ID is the only part of the mind which everyone is born with, and it is driven by the pleasure principle, or the strive for the satisfaction of needs. The ID will not be satisfied until the need it is asking for is met, and therefore it is the most demanding of the three parts of the mind. Ego- the realistic part of the mind. The ego keeps the ID under control by using the reality principle, or the satisfaction of the needs using means which are both obtainable and socially acceptable. Superego- the moral part of the mind. Like the ego, the superego works against the ID. The superego's responsibility is to protect itself from acting "wrong"; that is, to behave according to the moral ideas it creates for itself in order to achieve a feeling of pride rather than guilt.
A Freudian slip is an accidental replacement in speech of something repressed by the superego but which the subconscious reveals as an unconscious thought, belief, or wish. An example is calling a spouse by the name of an ex.
Timeline of Sigmund Freud's Life
1856-Was born. 1873-Graduated summa cum laude and began studying medicine. 1878-Changed his name to Sigmund. 1881-Received his doctorate in medicine. 1893-Formulation of his seduction theory. 1895-Published his first work, Studies on Hysteria. 1896-"Psychoanalysis" was used as a term for the first time. 1900-Published The Interpretation of Dreams. 1901-Published The Psychopathology of Everyday Life. 1905-Published Three Essays on Sexuality.1920-Published Beyond the Pleasure Principle.1923-Published The Ego and the Id. He was also diagnosed was jaw cancer.1929-Published Civilization and its Discontents. 1939-Died of his cancer.
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud, the "father of psychoanalysis", was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. He made incredible progress to the understanding of the human mind through two research projects he did involving psychosexual development and his three elements of personality (the ID, the ego, and the superego.) His work on these two projects, which are subtopics of his general school of thinking called psychoanalysis, have become the foundation of psychology in modern day.
Sigmund Freud Quotes
"Anatomy is destiny."
"Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock."
"Just as no one can be forced into belief, so no one can be forced into unbelief."
"Men are more moral than they think and far more immoral than they can imagine."
"The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water."
Psychosexual Development
Freud believed that all children had a libido, or a sexual drive, from when they were born. This libido is expressed through certain stages of childhood that people go through. (See figure to the left.) When children are raised in such a way that over-gratifies or under-gratifies one of the stages, that child is fixated on the stage, which means he is stuck in it. Although development will continue, the child will grow up with a continuation of the stage it is fixated on. For example, a child fixated in the oral stage may develop a smoking or drinking addiction.
Another thing Freud focused on under the concept of this development was the idea of repression, or forcing thoughts back into the subconscious. Sexual repression of children was most prominent during the latency stage.
Three Elements of Personality
Freud also concluded from his studies that the mind was broken into three different parts. These three parts act against each other and create internal conflict, and the strength of each part and its ability to control the others, or ego strength, determines the personality of each person.The three elements of personality are:
ID- the unconscious part of the mind. The ID is the only part of the mind which everyone is born with, and it is driven by the pleasure principle, or the strive for the satisfaction of needs. The ID will not be satisfied until the need it is asking for is met, and therefore it is the most demanding of the three parts of the mind.
Ego- the realistic part of the mind. The ego keeps the ID under control by using the reality principle, or the satisfaction of the needs using means which are both obtainable and socially acceptable.
Superego- the moral part of the mind. Like the ego, the superego works against the ID. The superego's responsibility is to protect itself from acting "wrong"; that is, to behave according to the moral ideas it creates for itself in order to achieve a feeling of pride rather than guilt.
A Freudian slip is an accidental replacement in speech of something repressed by the superego but which the subconscious reveals as an unconscious thought, belief, or wish. An example is calling a spouse by the name of an ex.
Timeline of Sigmund Freud's Life
1856-Was born.1873-Graduated summa cum laude and began studying medicine.
1878-Changed his name to Sigmund.
1881-Received his doctorate in medicine.
1893-Formulation of his seduction theory.
1895-Published his first work, Studies on Hysteria.
1896-"Psychoanalysis" was used as a term for the first time.
1900-Published The Interpretation of Dreams.
1901-Published The Psychopathology of Everyday Life.
1905-Published Three Essays on Sexuality. 1920-Published Beyond the Pleasure Principle. 1923-Published The Ego and the Id. He was also diagnosed was jaw cancer. 1929-Published Civilization and its Discontents.
1939-Died of his cancer.
Links to Sources of Information/Pictures
http://www.iep.utm.edu/freud/#H2
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/sigmund_freud.html
http://www.austincc.edu/ddydek/9thedch11notes.htm
http://psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/p/sigmund_freud.htm
http://psychology.about.com/od/sigmundfreud/a/freudtimeline.htm
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Sigmund_Freud_LIFE.jpg/200px-Sigmund_Freud_LIFE.jpg